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Secrets of Freemasonry

Fortitude Lodge No. 6503 is on the register of the United Grand Lodge of
England.

This web site
is pending approval by UGLE.

What is Freemasonry?

What is Freemasonry?

Freemasonry: A unique Institution with
global membership

Freemasonry is one of the world’s
oldest secular fraternal societies - a society of men
concerned with moral and spiritual values.

People from all walks of life become
Freemasons for a variety of reasons. Some are attracted by the
valuable work that the movement performs in raising money for
charity. It is not widely known that Freemasonry is one of the
largest charitable benefactors in the UK, in fact second only to the
National Lottery. Freemasons also assist the community in more direct
ways, such as carrying out voluntary work. Others become Freemasons
because of the unique fellowship it provides. There are about 5
million Freemasons worldwide, with 480,000 in England & Wales.
Visit a Masonic lodge anywhere in the country – or indeed, the
world – and you are greeted as an old friend. Freemasonry is the
ultimate leveller, a community where friendship and goodwill are
paramount.

The Three Great Principles

For many years Freemasons have followed three great principles:

Brotherly Love
Every true Freemason will show tolerance and respect for the opinions
of others and behave with kindness and understanding to his fellow
creatures.

Relief
Freemasons are taught to practise charity and to care - not only for
their own - but also for the community as a whole, both by charitable
giving and by voluntary efforts and works as individuals.

Truth
Freemasons strive for truth, requiring high moral standards and aiming
to achieve them in their own lives. Freemasons believe that these
principles represent a way of achieving higher standards in life.

Freemasons & Society

Freemasonry attracts those with a sense
of social responsibility: it encourages its members to be good
members of society and to lead by example.

Freemasonry instils in its members a
moral and ethical approach to life: it seeks to reinforce
thoughtfulness for others, kindness in the community, honesty in
business, courtesy in society and fairness in all things. Members are
urged to regard the interests of the family as paramount but,
importantly, Freemasonry also teaches and practices concern for
people, care for the less fortunate and help for those in need.

That naturally leads to charitable
giving (see separate page). From its earliest days, Freemasonry has
been concerned with the care of orphans, the sick and the aged. This
work continues today.

Freemasonry has certain charities,
including those for widows and children of masons, but it is not in
any sense a benefit society. Over the past five years, British
Freemasonry has raised more than £75m for a wide range of charitable
purposes, including medical research, education, and relief for
suffers of international disasters.

How often have we told ourselves that
we really should send money to help with some famine or other
disaster we have seen on TV, only to forget all about it in the rush
of everyday life? Freemasonry provides a structured channel for
fundraising from its members, and it can react quickly. When help is
needed urgently, the Masonic charities respond immediately and
generously.

Freemasonry reminds its members that
charitable donations are the start rather than the end
of one's obligation to society and many members are active in
their communities and in local charities.

For most Freemasons, Freemasonry is
more than simply a hobby or a social activity: it is a philosophy.

Personal satisfaction not personal gain

It has been said that some people
become Freemasons for personal benefit. This statement is true, but
it may be misleading. The personal gain is in experiencing the warmth
of an honourable society and being part of an organisation that works
hard to help the less fortunate. Membership brings warm and
supportive companionship, and leads to close friendships which
develop over many years.

Masons undertake not to use their membership
of Freemasonry to gain pecuniary advantage. Of course there have
been cases, and that is true of just about every group, society or
body where men get together. How many business deals are cooked up on
the golf course? The difference is that, unlike the golf club, to
expect preferential treatment from
fellow Freemasons is both misguided and contrary to one of the basic
principles of the organisation. Failure to maintain this principle
can lead to Masonic expulsion (although these are, thankfully, rare).
Rather than spend your money on Masonic membership fees, you’d be
better off buying a lottery ticket or joining that golf club.

Masonic symbolism has a purpose

But what about the so called funny
handshakes and the outlandish dress styles? Modern Freemasonry has
been in existence for over 300 years and over this time has developed
a pattern of ceremony. They are no more eccentric than ceremonies such
as the State Opening of Parliament and, like this event, they perform
a valuable function in reminding members of the heritage and
standards they are expected to maintain. Once people have become
Freemasons and understand the context of the ceremony and symbolism,
they no longer seem quirky.

In every
generation, monarchs and heads of state have been promoters of Freemasonry, have participated in our mysteries and joined in our assemblies. This practice continues today.

Members are taught its
precepts (moral lessons and self-knowledge) by a series of two-part
morality dramas. Like
any form of theatre, it demands the learning by heart of the words and movements on stage. The drama is then performed within each Lodge.
This progression of plays follow ancient forms, and use operative stonemasons’
customs, tools and implements as metaphorical props set against the allegorical backdrop of the building of King Soloman's Temple. Through taking part in these ceremonies,
Freemasons come to understand the truths that they contain. Masons
refer to these plays as “ritual”, a term which perhaps leads to
unfortunate and inaccurate interpretation by non-masons.

Why the secrecy?

The medieval stonemasons guilds upon whose rituals Freemasonry is based,
used handshakes and other signs as ways of identifying an unknown
Mason. These signs were kept
secret in order to preserve the integrity of the guild, ensuring that
unskilled workers could not bring the craft into disrepute. Nowadays,
these 'modes of recognition' are the only part of the ceremonies that
Freemasons are bound not to reveal, as a token of their integrity and
trust. The remainder of
the ceremonial, while not technically secret, is kept private so as not
to spoil the experience for the candidate on whose behalf it is being
conducted.

Masonic 'secrets' or its 'modes of recognition' may therefore be perceived as metaphorical keys
to the doors of the different levels within Freemasonry, and allude
to moral values that encourage high personal standards. Advancing in
Freemasonry and discovering the messages associated with each level
makes them easier to absorb and understand.

Further reading

We do not guarantee that resources accessed via links on the remainder
of this page are either Masonic in nature or have been approved or
endorsed by the United Grand Lodge of England. We
specifically do not warrant that resources accessible from Web sites linked to below are recognised by, or have the approval of, the United
Grand Lodge of England.